Exercise apparatus



June 8, 1937. c. H. GERLoFsoN 2,082,829

EXERCISE APPARATUS Filed Nov. 18, 1955 z 'I fnv@ n z5 @7^ CEUX/fwd'erZa/fma Patented June 8, 1937 UNIT-Eo sai-Ares f-rfPAfrE'fN-fr oF-FICEi AEXERcIsE APPARATUS l Carl Hugo' 'Gerlofs'om Chicago, imputationNovember 18,:11985,-=seria1Nd..50;889

. 14" Claim.

'.Other` objects fwilluappearlf from ltimesto ftime in the'specification andi claim.

, The` inventionffislillustrated amore or. lessndiac grammatically l, ini the accompanying drawing,

wherein:-

lO Figure 1 isv an elevation, showing one lform'of L the devicet linfuse; i

i 'l Figure2sis. a.planl:view of .thisaform lofzthe Figure 3 is asideview :of the deviceshowmin Figure 2 with parts broken away and parts invertical section;

Figure 4 is an end view;

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section, taken at line 5 5 of Figure3;

Figure 6 illustrates a modified form of the device.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout thespecification and drawing.

As shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, the device comprises anexercising apparatus which may be supported upon a floor or any otherfoundation or base. As shown, the device is made of cast metal but itmight be made of any other material and formed in any other way.

I, I are end members having laterally extended feet portions 2, 2. Theend members may be perforated as at 3. The end members are joined by arounded, longitudinally disposed member 4 which is of generally roundedand preferably semi-cylindrical shape. It may be reduced somewhat towardits ends as at 5, 5, where it joins the end members. If cast, thelongitudinal member li may be provided with a reinforcing web 6, at-anysuitable point intermediate its ends. Other reinforcement may, of

course, be provided.

As shown in Figure 6 the exercising member is mounted upon andpreferably secured to a base l. A balancing member 8, having a handle 9,is

also secured to the base. Thus the exercising member and the balancingmember are mounted on the same base and are movable together as a unit.

v To facilitate relative movement of the foot and exercising device, aflexible fabric member, such as a towel I0, may be provided.

Where the device is in its simpler form as shown in the first fivefigures, it is preferably placed for use adjacent some portion of thewall or other rigid member, by means of which the'usermaylbalanceihimself. shown in'Figure 1,1the user I I is-balancinghimself'by holding to' 1 the door frame I2.

imA

`and 4 almodied' form is showniin whlchl the generally horizontalportion? 4,'5 5= is A'made separately1 from' the'baseportion I, 2, theparts being -separated-and t-hefbase portions bei-nggpinned to thehorizontal portion by pins I3, fixed -in the 10 construction nor to anyparticular material.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

In general the device may be used in either 20 form and when used, theuser, without shoes, stands with the longitudinal member supporting hisweight, preferably upon the arch of his foot.

He balances himself either by holding the handle 9 in the form of thedevice shown in Figure 6, 25 or by holding or touching some otherstationary member such as a door frame or Wall, and holding his bodypreferably as nearly erect as possible, moves his feet backwards andforwards, from the position shown in Figure 1 in full lines 30 to theposition shown in dotted lines at X, in which the heel points downwardand the toes are raised above the heel. He then moves his feet forwardto the position shown at Y in Figure l, where the toes are pointeddownward and the 35 heel raised above the toes. This relative movementof the feet with respect to the support 4, 5, exercises and massages themuscles of the feet as the foot slides or rolls across the member uponwhich it rests. 40

If the fabric member I0 is used, the user stands upon it and it servesto reduce friction of the foot and to make the movement just describedeasier.

The movement of the feet described necessitates bending and flexing ofthe foot itself, exer- 45 cise of the foot muscles and bending andflexing of the muscles of the legs generally, with the result that themuscles are exercised and strengthened, the circulation increased andbenefited and the muscular, bony and nervous structure of the 50 feetand legs as a whole exercised, strengthened and improved.

The particular types of movements illustrated in Figure 1 represent onlysome of those possible. Many other exercises are possible. The purpose55 generally is to provide a device upon which the user supports hisweight intermediate the ends of his feet and thus carries his weightpossibly on the arch of the foot, possibly on the ball of the foot orelsewhere; and with which device he can exercise that portion of thefoot by many different movements and manipulations. He is not limited,and the invention is not limited, to the idea of merely rocking orsliding or rolling back and forth with the feet on the support. Trans-Verse rolling, rocking and bending of the feet are possible and iscontemplated in addition to the mere backward and forward movementillustrated. It is to be understood, of course, that the use of thetowel or cloth l0 is optional. In general that serves to make movementof the foot with respect to the support easier, but it is not essentialand the apparatus may be used Without it.

It will be noticed that the upper surface of the support 4 upon Whichthe user stands is reduced adjacent each end as at 5, 5. These reducedportions serve to provide places for the feet. In a sense, therefore,they are positioning depressions on the surface of the support. Whilethe support might be of constant size and be free from thesedepressions, their presence is useful because it tends to position thefeet and to retain them in position and thus to simplify the use of thedevice.

The device as shown might be modified by substituting in place of thefixed member 4, 5, a roller of any suitable size and contour so that theuser might merely rock back and forth and the roller would roll underhis weight to produce an effect generally the same as that produced whenhe rocks back and forth on the present fixed support member 4, 5.

Where in the specification and claim I have referred to a floor, it isto be understood that I mean any support for the apparatus. Ordinarilythe apparatus will be used indoors and will rest upon the floor of theroom within which it is used. It might, of course, be used out of doorsand might rest upon any support or base. Where I have referred to thefact that it rests upon the oor or is supported above the oor, I meanany base which could be used to carry the apparatus,

I have spoken of using the iiexible member I0 and it is illustrated inFigures 1 and 5. It is to'x be understood that it could be used equallywell with the form of the device shown in Figure 6. It has been omittedfrom that figure because of the small scale used and to avoid confusionin the showing.

I claim:

In an exerciser apparatus, a single stationary ground-engagingsupporting member, said supporting member being provided, on its uppersurface, with an extended generally rounded foot receiving portion whichis generally arcuate in vertical transverse contour, said surface beingpositioned a distance above the floor sumcient to permit a user,standing upon said arcuate surface, to rock back and forth with respectto said supporting member without contact with the floor, the radius ofthe arc of said supporting surface being suilcient to permit asubstantial portion of the lower surface of the foot simultaneously tocontact it without an undue flexure of the foot.

CARL HUGO GERLOFSON.

